Pipe bender



A JQHARMON ET A1. 1,741,840

PIPE BENDER Dec. 31,v 1929.

Filed April 2. 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 JJ l l s Dec. 31, 1929' l A. J.HARMQN ET AL .PIPE BENDER ,Filed April 2, 19a-a 2 sheets-snee@ 2Patented Dec. 31, 192e uNrraDN sTATEs.

PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR J. Hannon AND JAMES w. Hannon, or oHIcAGo, mnmons:PIPE BENDEB' Application led April 2,

Our invention relates to appliances lfor bending pipes, and particularlytol the class of portable pipe benders suitable for use in making bendsof the required curvature in Wire. conduits when such conduits are beinginstalled in buildings. Generally speaking, the objects of our inventioninclude the providing of a pipe bender which will amplifyy the powerofthe user, whichvcan readily be adjusted for wide variations ofcurvature and for dierent llocations of the curves in relation to theends of the pipe, which Awill serve interchangeably with differentdiameters of pipes without flattening or indenting the pipes, which willrequire no .stationary bench as its support, and which can readily bemoved from one part'of the building to mit bends to be made atconsiderable distances from either end of a pipe. v

(4:) Means for adapting a given bending form to pipes of differentdiameter without materially aiecting the crosssection of the pipe inthebent portion. j

(.5) A bending form which can readily be adjusted to varyboth itseffective length and` radius, and which can also be adjusted for formingnon-circular curves.

(6) Simple supporting means for permitting an entire detaching of theform when desired. f

Still further and also more detailed objects will appear from thefollowing specifi-f cation, and from the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a perspective view of a pipe bender embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same 192s. serial 11. aeasos.

bender, showing it as used flor making a bend close to one end of apipe.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, showing the` Fig. 7 is a front elevation ofthe same form, ,showingy the same as adjusted for a curve of shorterradius and length.'

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the formcarrying end of supporting base,showing a non-adjustable form mounted on the base.

Fig. 9 is a section similar to the upper portion of Fig. 6, showinganother shape ofthe outer face of a form member embodying a portion ofour invention.

In the ,embodiment of Figs. 1 to 7, our pipe bender includes a normallyhorizontal base comprising two steel channel beams 1 set on edge andwith their opposed backs rigidly connected by spacers 2. This base issupported at its forward end by wheels 3 and at its rear end by a wheel4, the latter being pref-v erably journaled in aicastor swiveled to thebase on a vertical axis.

Secured to the top of the base adjacent to its rear end is an adjustablebending form, which includes as its supporting portion two angle irons 5seated upon and secured to base plates 6. These base plates rest on theupper webs 1A of the channel beams 1 and are vsecured to the latter byclamps each consisting of a clamping plate 7 seated on the upper -iangesof the channel beams 1 and connected along the line lvided at their uper edges with notches 8, the notches ont e two angle irons aliningtransversely of the bender. y

Rigidly fastened to the rear end ofthe base 1s a vertical thrust member9, here shown as of a channel section, against which a part of a ipe 10can be held by a clamping plate 11 Wlich is carried by threaded shanks12 projecting rearwardly from the base, and which plate can be forcedagainst the pipes by nuts 13 (Fig. 4).' The thrust 1nember of the pipeclamp, as thus arranged, has its pipeengaging face substantiallytangential to one end of a bending formfwhich form may be rigid as shownat 43 in Fig. 8.- However, we preferably employ a form which can beadusted to a wide varietyof curvatures, thereavoiding boththe providingof numer ous forms of different radii, and also saving the time requiredfor detaching the forni from the base and replacing it by another one.

Illustrative of such an adjustable form, we desirably provide aplurality of rigid arms each carrying a portion of the form at its upperend and each having its lower end socketed upon the base, together withconnections between the consecutive form portions and means forindependently adjusting the length of each arm. For this purpose, Figs.5 to 7 show each such arm has comprising a threaded shank 14 extendingupwards slidably into the bore of a tube 15 to a variable distanceadjusted by the position of a nut 16 engaging the lower end of the tube,which nut is latched by an adjacent locknut 17. The'lower end of theshank is fast upon a cross-bar 18 which extends across the two channelmembers 5 on the base of our bender, and which cross-bar can be slidablysocketed in any alined pair of the upwardly open notches 8.

The upper end of each tube 15 carries a head 19 which preferably ispivoted to the tube (as by the bolt 2O of Fig. 6), and each such headpreferably has its upper surface convexed longitudinally of the head.The consecutive form heads 19 are connected to each other by pivotinglinks 21, and the form head nearest to the previously described clampfor the pipe is connected by a pivoting link 22 to a stationary part ofthe form, such as -a riser 23 secured to the angle irons 5. These linksnot only keep the form heads in longitudinal alinement but also4maintain a constant distance between the consecutive heads and resiststrains in the bending direction (namely toward the right in Fig. 5)

when our bender is in use. Y

To prevent the pipe from sliding transversely off these heads, wepreferably make the upper face of each head of an upwardly concavetransverse section, as for example of the oblique angled V-shapedsection shown in Fig. 6. Th'enpwe also provide yielding means connectingthese upper form faces to aord a continuous curvature, and preferablyemploy yielding means which will conof the form heads 19. When firstlaid upon theconsecutive form heads, this band `24 may 'rest onliv Aonouter lateral edge portions of the hea s, as shown in Fig. 5. However,the pressure of the pipe toward the form heads during the bendingoperation forces the band into t e concaved upper head faces and alsoindents the pipe into the yielding material of the band into conformitywith the radius of the pipe, as shown in Fig. 6.

Consequently, this band automatically adx justs itself to the desiredcurvature for which the several form arms have been adjusted both byvarying their respective lengths and by selecting suitable pairs ofnotches for engagement with the cross-bars 18 on the lower ends of theform arms. By providing counterpart notches 8 spaced by small fractionsof the length of each form head 19, and by threading the arm Shanks 14to afford a considerable adjustment in the length of each arm, we canreadily adjust our bending form to a wide range of curvatures. With eachadjustment, the pivoting of the cross-bars 18 in the notches entered bythem, the pivoting of each head 19 on the tubular portion 15 of eachform arm, andr the pivoting of the links 21 to the heads permit theheads to swing into the general desired curvature.

To facilitate the operation of our bender, we also providepower-multiplying means, preferably in the form of a winch which isadjustably mounted on the base of the bender so that it can beoperatively connected to pipe portions spaced by different distancesfrom the form. Thus, Fig. 1 shows a winch drum 25 journaled on a winchframe 26 which seats on the upper flanges 1A and which carries clampingplates 27 respectively underhanging the such two anges. .By looseningbolts 28 which connect each clamping plate with the winch base, theentire winch can be slid lengthwise of the bender base toward or fromthe form, so as to have the winch underhanging a desired portion of thepipe 10, after which a tightening of these bolts clamps the winch in itsselected position.

A cable or other flexible connecting member 29 is then connected at oneend to the winch drum 25 and at its other end by any suitable means,suchl as a clamp 30, to the pipe. The winch is preferably operatedthrough a pivoted lever 31 carrying a pawl 32`engaging a ratchet wheel33 on the winch drum, a releasable pawl 34 is provided for latchingthe"winch. Thus arranged, ,the reciprocation of the lever 31 enables asingle userto exert enough power for bending piping of any size likelyto need bending on a construction job,

and the pipe can quickly be released and reclamped vin another positionfor making a further bend in it.

To allow for the making of bends at a dis- `tance lfrom the rear(clamped) end of the pipe, we provide means whereby the entire bendercan be tilted about its forward wheels 3, desirably by mounting atubular socket 35. near the rear end of each base channel member '1.Vith each such socket extending laterspectively into the two sockets,while the lower ends of these pipes engage the floor 37 .(as in Fig. 3),thereby 'permitting the clamped pipe 10 to Vextend downward for-a.considerable distance below the rear end of the base of the bender.'

By providing an adjust-able form and also permitting the winch to bemoved toward or from the form, we se'ure a self-contained bending deviceof wide adaptability and high power, and eliminate both the need ofstationary benches and the supplying of the numerous separate formsusually required 'for making bends of different radii. Moreover, the useof vour yielding band 24 adapts our bender to widely varying diametersof pipes, and the tiltability of the entire bender facilitates themaking of bends spaced from the ends of piping. So also, the'wheels 3and 4 permit the user to move the entire bender easily from one point toanother.

However, while we have heretofore described our invention in anembodiment in- "cluding certain desirable construction and wardly openchannel for receiving the packing band 24, while Fig. 8 shows a singleform member 43 supported by rigid bracing 39.

Nor do we wish to be limited to the employment of the various novelfeatures of our bender in conjunction with one another. We claim as ourinvention: l. A pipe bender comprising a horizontally extending baseprovided at its top with oppositely directed'flanges, a form seated onthe said flanges near one end of the base and extending longitudinallyof the flanges, a

winch mounted on the fianges and slidable toward the form from the otherend of the base, means for clamping the winch to the said flanges toprevent such'sliding of the winch, means for clampingr a portion of apipe tothe form, and flexible means connecting -terial o the 4anotherportion of the `pipe with the wlnch.

2. In a pipe bender, a form having aconvexed edge of outwardly openchannel-shaped transversesectio, anda lining for the chaninel composedof a deformable but substantially incompressible material. y

3..,In apipe bender, aform having a convexed edge of outwardly openchannel-shaped transverse section, and a lining for the channel composedof a deformable but substantially incompressible material, the liningbemg wider than the mouth of the channel. 4. In a pipe bender, a form.having a convexed edge of outwardly open channel-shaped transversesection, and a lining for the channel com osed of a thick band of wovenmageneral character of a brake linlng. f

5. A pipe bending form comprising a support, a plurality of relativelydiverging arms disposedl substantially in a common vertical plane andeach pivotally connected at one end to the support and each adjustablein length, each arm having a head of upwardly conveX'ed longitudinalsection at its other end, and connecting links respectively interposedbetween the heads of consecutive arms.

6. A pipe bending form comprising a support, a plurality of relatively`diverging. arms disposed substantially in a common vertical plane andeach pivoted at one end upon the support and each adjustable vin length,each arm having a head at its other end, and connections betweenconsecutive heads for. definitely spacing and alining the heads.

7. A bending form as per claim 5, in which thev support is constructedto permit a vary- Y ing of the spacing between the pivoting ends of thearms.

and in which each arm has one end formed` for entering one of the saidnotches and pivot-vy ingu-pon the bottom of the notch.

lO. A pipe bending form comprising a plurality 'of consecutivelyconnected heads having grooved outer faces disposed with the groovesthereof in substantial continuation of each other; arms respectivelysupporting the several heads., each arm being independently adjustablein length; and a yielding member seated in all of the said grooves toafford a continuous form engaged by a pipe during the bending thereof.

11. A pipe bender comprising a base having one end adapted to rest on afloor, Ia bending form mounted on the other end of the base, a winchmounted on the base and spaced from the form, a support for the saidother end of the base about which the base may be tilted u wardl inravertical plane, and means assoclated with the form-carrym end of thebase for holding the base in a tilte position.

12. A bender as per claim 11, in which the said means include socketsupon the base and legs attachable at their upper ends to the sockets.

13. An adjustable bending form comprising a base, upwardly extendingarms detachably journaled on the base and disposed 1n a common verticalplane, an upwardly grooved head pivoted on the upper end of each arm,links respectively connecting the consecutive heads for holding theheads with the medial portions of the grooves in the head in the saidplane, and means respectively associated with the several arms forindependently adjusting the length of each arm.

14. An adjustable bending form as per claim 13, in which the base isprovided with a plurality of consecutively spaced journaling formationsinterchangeably adapted to have arms j ournaled in them.

15. A pipe bender comprising a base, an articulated form member securedto the base, a winch secured to the base beyond one end of the formmember` means for clamping a portion of the pipe to one part of theother end of the form member, and means connecting the winch to aportion of the vpipe extending beyond the first named end of the formmember, the winch being slidably mounted on the base for movement towardand away from the form.

16. In a pipe bender, a rigid base provided with socket formationsspaced longitudinally of the base, arms each socketed at one end in oneof the said-formations and having their axes in a common plane, formportions respectively mounted on the other ends of the arms and alininglongitudinally with each other to constitute a form member, meansdefinitely spacing the consecutive arms, and means ixedly spacing thebase from the form portion at one end of the said form member.

17. A pipe bender as per claim 16, in which the said socket formationsare spaced by distances less than the lengths of the form portions.

18. A pipe bender comprising a horizontal base having oppositelydirected lateral flanges, an articulated bending form extendinglongitudinally of the base and secured at one end to ,the base, a sli deinterlocked with the said ianges beyond the other end of the bendingform for movement toward and from the form, means for clamping a pipe tothe said end of the form. pulling means carried by the slide, and apulling member interposed between the pipe and the pulling means.

19. A pipe bending device comprising a base having two parallel rows ofupwardly open socketing formations, the formations in one row aliningwith those of the other; arm members each having at its lower end aSigned at Chicago, Illinois, March 27th,

ARTHUR J. HARMON. JAMES W. HARMON.

